Bail-cleaning device



.I. G. HUNNICUTT.

RAH. CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION men JULY 1|. ms.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

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Ailorn eys Tim COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH :0" WASHINGTON. D. C

J. G. HUNNICUTT.

RAIL CLEANING DEVICE.

APPLICATION rum JULY n. ma.

1 ,3 1 4, 3 3O Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Inventor J. 6 .HunnicuTT.

BY 1 V I :r

JAMES G. HUNNIGUTT, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

RAIL-CLEANING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

Application filed July 11, 1918. Serial No. 244,396.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. HUNNI- com, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Cleaning Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has to do with improvements in rail cleaning or washing devices and the essence of the invention lies in the combination of means such that when sand is caused to be deposited on the rail in advance of thedriving wheels of a locomotive so as to afiord the proper traction, automatically and simultaneously the washing of the sand from the rail just in rear of the drivers becomes effective.

More specifically, the object of my invention is to provide for a common control of the sanding and sand cleaning means. It may here be stated that I am well aware that it has been heretofore proposed to clean or wash the rail following the sanding operation, but to my knowledge these ends have been accomplished by separate and distinct means requiring individual attention, and it has therefore been my aim to perform the two operations as an incident to the performing of the necessary one of the two, that of sanding.

To this end the invention consists in the combination of a valve controlling a fillld.

pressure medium and a sand blower or sanding valve so communicating that when the latter is operated to effect sanding of the rail or to discontinue such action, the first mentioned valve will be operated to release the said pressure fluid to act upon the sand or to effect cut ofi of the medium as the case may be.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and claimed. Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a view inv elevation showing diagrammatically the application of my cleaning system to a conventional locomotive;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation showing more clearly the arrangement of the sand blower valve and discharge pipes for the cleaning fluid;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the valve forming a part of my apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the several parts forming the piston valve or plunger;

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on the lings 5-5 and 6-6 respectively of Fig. 3; an

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail view of a discharge pipe for the cleaning medium.

Throughout the following detail description and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

Referring to the drawing,-1 designates a locomotive of conventional type, at one side of which is suitably arranged the sand blower or sanding valve 2 which valve is also of a conventional type at present known and used. This valve embodies a lever 3 which is arranged at a convenient location for manipulation by the engineer, and when said lever is moved in one direction the valve is opened to admit air from the pipe 4 which has communication with the main reservoir pipe 5, allowing the said air to pass through the forwardly extending pipe 6 leading to the sand traps from which the supply of sand is discharged through the sanding pipe 7 leading to a point adjacent to the rail in advance of the locomotive driving wheels.

In order to carry out the object of my invention, I interpose in this forwardly eX- tending air pipe 6 a T-joint 8 from which a pipe 9 leads downwardly to the valve 10 forming one of the main essential features of my apparatus. This valve is specifically shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing and embodies the inlet port 11, the discharge port 12, and the piston valve 13. The head of the latter which is detachably connected to the valve stem, is operable in the charging chamber 14 screwed to the body portion of the valve, with which chamber the pipe 9 hereinbefore referred to communicates. In the partition 15' of the valve, a seat is formed with which the conical portion 16 of the valve stem cooperates, for controlling the passage of a fluid medium from the inlet 11 to the outlet 12. The valve 13 at its lower end is. suitably enlarged as indicated at 17 so as to fit the lateral extension 18 fairly snugly to insure a proper guidance of the valve in its reciprocatory movement. The extension 18 is provided with a detachable cap 19 and I preferably, though not necessarily, employ a spiral spring 20 mounted within the extension 18 so as to normally suitable source such as from the blower pipe 21 with which the locomotive is conventionally provided. This pipe embodies the usual blower valve 22 and I employ the pipe 23 communicating with the pipe '21 so as to lead the steam to the valve inlet port 11. The pressure of this medium obviously tends to maintain the valve 13 in seated position, which position for the purposes of this devalve.

Describing the operation of my invention, when it is found necessary or desirable .to sand the rails in order to obtain sufficient traction, the engineer shifts the sandmg valve lever 3, in this instance, rearwardly, thus admittmg air pressure whlch,

operative through the pipe 6, carries out air immediately depresses the piston valve '13 downwardly against the seat 13 which in turn unseats the valve in thecustomary manner, admitting the fluid pressure, or steam in this instance, from the inlet side 11 to the discharge'side of'the valve where the medium is conducted by the laterally branching pipes 24 to the vertically arranged discharge nozzles 25, one of such nozzles being arranged in rear of each driver after the manner of the arrangement of the sanding pipes 7 in advance of each driver. The lower extremity of these discharge nozzles is shown most clearly in Fig. '7 of the drawing from which it willbe observed that the pipe is flattened at its ex- ,tremity as indicated at 25 so as to act to spread the steam or water which is directed against the rail and effects the removal of thesand.

When the sanding continued, the engineer shifts the lever 3 ffonwardly, closing the sanding valve and interrupting the air pressure so that the operation is to be dis piston valve 13 is free to move upwardly under the action of the fluid pressure medium which is allowed to act initially upon the piston head whenthe valve is unseated in the -manner above disclosed or which asses through the passage 17 in the enarged portion 17 at the lower end of the valve so as to shift the said valve in the upward direction to thereby close the same.

It will thus be apparent that I have combined the two operations of sanding and cleaning so that the said operations are carried out simultaneously, and all by the simple shifting of the sand valve controlling lever. The increase in efficiency of the locomotive when the sand is removed in the manner above specified is too Well known to need specific mention, and the advantage of carrying out the combined operations in the simplest manner will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what for, of rail cleaning means automatically scription I term the closed position of the 7 operative as an incident to the operation of the sand control means.

2. In a locomotive, the combination with rail sanding means and a control valve therefor, of means for supplying a cleaning medium to the rail including control means' said last mentioned control means being operative through the control valve for the sanding means.

3. In a locomotive,"the combination with sanding means and a valve therefor, of rail 1 cleaning means and a valve for the same, one of said valves being operative to control the other whereby to effect simultaneous sanding and cleaning actions or the discontinuance of such actions.

4:. In a locomotive, the combination with rail sanding means and a control valve therefor, of a source of fluid supply for cleaning the rails, a valve communicating therewith and normally'held closed by the fluid, and -means establishing communication between the last mentioned valve and the sanding control valve whereby upon opening of the latter the second mentioned valve is charged to render the fluid supply operative for cleaning. purposes.

5. In a locomotive, the combination with rail sanding means, an air pressure supply and a control valve therefor, of a suitable pressure steam supply for cleaning the rails, a {valve communicating with said steam supply and normally held closed by the steam pressure, a conduit leading from the sanding control valve for directing the air controlled by said valve to the steam valve aforesaid, said air pressure being operative to unseat the steam valve and admit the steam for passage therethrough, and discharge nozzles for said steam arranged to direct the latter against the locomotive rails.

6. In a locomotive, the combination with rail sanding means including an air supply, a suitable source of sand supply, and a controlling valve for efiecting sanding operation, of an auxiliary valve, a suitable source of a washing medium under pressure including a passage leading to the auxiliary valve to normally subject the valve to the pressure to maintain the same closed, a passage from the sanding valve to the auxiliary valve to admit the air supply to the latter for opening the same, said valve including a piston operable by the air pressure and the pressure of the Washing medium in opposite directions, and means for conveying the washing medium from the valve to the rails.

7. The combination with a locomotive, of a rail-sanding device, a rail-cleaning 'device, and means for conjointly controllin the operation of both of said devices to eifect their simultaneous operation.

8. The combination with a locomotive, of a rail-sanding device, a rail-cleanin device, and means for conjointly control ing the operation of both of said devices to effect their simultaneous operation, comprising a manually operable valve and a fluid pressure operated valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES Gr. HUNNICUTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatenta, Washington, I). 0. 

